


Take Your Time

by way_haught_stuff



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV), wayhaught - Fandom
Genre: Another roommate au no one asked for, College AU, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends AU, Slow Burn, Wayhaught - Freeform, WynHaught - Freeform, roommates au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-07 18:42:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16413773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/way_haught_stuff/pseuds/way_haught_stuff
Summary: A college roommates AU where Nicole is utterly head over heels for Waverly, and Waverly isn't faring much better.-Titled after Vance Joy's song "Take Your Time."-Warning for mention of alcohol.





	1. Nowhere Else To Be

A couple months ago, Nicole thought she was a morning person. She woke up when the sun rose. It was early enough for her to make breakfast, relax, study, maybe even go for a walk. Nicole had always thought she was a morning person- until she rented an apartment with Waverly Earp. 

Waverly Earp, who wakes up at 5:30 in the morning, getting dressed and ready in a manner that must seem quiet to her. But to Nicole, the only thing louder than Waverly leaving for her morning run is Waverly’s shower an hour later where the younger girl belts out songs like nobody’s business. Yeah, Nicole isn’t a morning person.

She’d met Waverly through her freshman biology study group, and Nicole seemed to gravitate towards her, but they were never friends outside of class. Then at the end of the summer after her freshman year, she’d gotten a text from Waverly- probably the first text that wasn’t in the group message- and for the last month they’d shared a small two-bedroom, one-bath apartment. 

It’s not that she doesn’t like Waverly. The girl is a ray of sunshine. Nicole just didn’t know what she was getting herself into. Fresh meals that made her late to her classes and distracted her from studying. Mandatory “Roomie Movie Night” every Thursday. And being woken up at 5am, falling back asleep, and being woken up again at 6am.

Today, like most days, Nicole sits hunched over at her desk, studying with her door cracked open. Her mind is blurred, tired and unfocused, having gone to the gym this morning and attending two lectures just to come home and study. But she pushes through, albeit begrudgingly. She can’t nap and come back to it, seeing as how it’s Roomie Movie Night.

Nicole is just finishing up an assignment when Waverly comes in the front door, slamming it behind herself as usual. She hears the sound of the younger girl’s shoes hitting the floor, then some rustling as she put them on the shoe rack.

“Nicole?” Waverly’s cheery voice calls out.

“In here,” Nicole responds, decidedly less upbeat.

Waverly’s footsteps fall lightly down the hallway, then she’s pulling open Nicole’s door. The older girl continues putting her books into her bag, then looks up at the brunette, her breath catching for a moment. 

Waverly- who must’ve also hit the gym today- stands there in a sports bra and a messy bun, already pulling off her sweatpants to reveal spandex and toned legs underneath. She’s all skin and sweat, looking at Nicole expantantly.

“Movie in half an hour?” Nicole asks, finally meeting Waverly’s eyes.

“Yeah, I’m just gonna shower and I’ll be right out. Did you eat dinner yet?”

Nicole hasn’t eaten dinner; she’s been busy with assignments, only taking a break to shower. But she ate a big lunch at the cafeteria and knows there will be popcorn later, so she nods.

Waverly narrows her eyes as if she can sense Nicole’s lie, but after a long moment she  turns around, headed for the bathroom down the hall. Nicole takes the time to change into her flannel pajama pants and tank top, then goes to the living room to find a movie.

She’s let Waverly pick the last few times, but the younger girl lost her movie-picking rights when she chose Avatar last week, keeping them up well past the time Nicole would’ve wanted. So this time she picks out one of her own DVDs, a cheesy horror movie that she’s sure Waverly will hate.

Nicole makes the popcorn, sitting back on the couch with her feet on the coffee table while she listens to Waverly turn off the shower and rush around her room to get dressed. Nicole chuckles at the sound of commotion and the low string of curses that follows.

“You okay, Waves?”

“I’m fine,” Waverly responds in a strained voice. She comes out of her room holding her hip though. “Just bumped into my bed frame.”

Waverly reaches up, her pajama top lifting well above her shorts as she examines the spot for a bruise. The older girl watches only until she catches herself staring.

Nicole sits up and takes her feet off the table as Waverly turns off the lights, reaching for the remote to play the movie. When the brunette plops down beside her, Nicole hands over the popcorn, leaning back with an arm over the back of the couch. Waverly snuggles close on instinct, the back of her head on Nicole’s arm, their sides nearly pressed together.

Nicole stretches back, trying to relax and focus on the movie while Waverly squirms, pulling her feet up under her legs.

“Nicole, is this a scary movie?” Waverly asks, curling up closer at the thought alone. She’s never told the redhead that she hates horror movies, but she’s avoided them at Roomie Movie Nights.

“It’s not too scary,” Nicole says, dropping her hand to Waverly’s shoulder, rubbing circles to calm her nerves. “Do you not like scary movies?”

Waverly isn’t going to admit her disdain to the smug girl sitting next to her, so she just shrugs it off as an answer. They’re halfway through the movie when Nicole gets bored with her own choice, picking up her phone with the hand that isn’t wrapped around Waverly.

For a moment the younger girl doesn’t notice, her attention glued to the screen. Then there’s a jump scare, and Waverly grabs the fabric on Nicole’s abdomen and curls her head into the redhead’s shoulder, a stark difference from the casual cuddling they’d been engaged in. Nicole jumps in reaction to Waverly and not the movie, but drops her phone all the same.

That’s when Waverly notices the device, screen open on Nicole’s messages.

“Hey,” Waverly pouts, her grip loosening though her fingers still brush against Nicole’s stomach. “No phones on Roomie Movie Night.”

Nicole chuckles nervously, something about Waverly’s closeness suddenly giving her an uneasy feeling. She straightens her back, tossing her phone aside and using her sudden movement to shift away from the younger girl a bit.

Waverly notices, though, letting go of Nicole’s shirt. Her face falls a little bit but Nicole misses it, her eyes back on the TV. The movie is barely over two hours long, but Nicole drifts off at some point, missing the ending.

When she wakes up, the TV is left on the black menu screen, it’s dark outside, and the room is quiet except the soft snores of the girl beside her. Nicole looks down, finding Waverly’s face pressed into her shoulder, mouth slightly open as she drools onto Nicole’s bare shoulder. She wants to be grossed out but it’s a bit endearing, seeing the energetic girl at peace, her face soft and breathing calmly.

Nicole shifts just a bit, grabbing a couch cushion to ease Waverly’s head onto as she stands up. Looking around, she considers leaving her on the couch. But the couch is uncomfortable, terribly so, and there’s no blanket lying around to cover her with.

Then Nicole thinks about waking her, but Waverly looks so small in her sleep, her features softer than usual. So Nicole quietly, carefully reaches down, sliding her arms under the girl’s thighs and shoulders, lifting her off the couch with a heavy sigh.

Nicole pauses, making sure she hasn’t woken her. But Waverly just curls into the older girl’s frame, still breathing softly. Nicole walks to the brunette’s room, pushing open the cracked door with her foot. The room is dark, but even in the middle of the night Nicole can make out the bright posters covering the walls, the colorful, boho-style patterns on the bedspread. 

Waverly has never made her bed a day in her life, making it easy for Nicole to place her under the covers, pulling the sheets up the the younger girl’s chin. She watches the rise and fall of Waverly’s chest, making sure she’s still asleep before Nicole backs out of the room, walking down the hall to her own.

Falling into bed, Nicole curls up in her nest of pillows and sheets. She pulls of her tank top at the last second, throwing it across the room because it smells like Waverly’s perfume and shampoo. She can’t get into the habit of relying on the brunette’s smell to fall asleep.

The next morning Nicole sleeps in until almost 7, because down the hall her roommate has forgotten to set her alarm. 

Waverly wakes up disoriented, and she can’t remember how she got to bed. She notices the sun rising already, but she slept so well that it may have been well worth missing her run.

Nicole is pouring a cup of coffee when Waverly walks into the kitchen, groggy and yawning, her hair mussed and her arms covered with sleep lines from her sheets. Nicole thinks the younger woman might ask her about how she ended up in her own bed, but after a moment of just standing and watching Nicole, Waverly thanks her for the extra coffee in the pot.

For some reason Nicole had been nervous, but Waverly doesn’t mention it, so she reminds herself that it’s something any good roommate would do. Even a bad roommate might do it for Waverly.

 

A couple days later, Nicole finds herself sitting on the floor, propped up by the couch, right at Waverly’s feet. The younger woman is reading some history book, annotating and highlighting, not for class but just because she’d rather read than work on her math assignment, Nicole is sure. 

Nicole, on the other hand, is engrossed in the revising and editing stages of her latest analysis paper. Waverly is playing soft instrumental music from her phone, and Nicole has never been big on having background noise while working, but the younger girl’s playlist doesn’t bother her one bit.

The two have found this to be a routine that works for them, sitting together in silence. Nicole also never cared much for company while studying, but Waverly brings a bit of peace to her silent study sessions now. It isn’t until Waverly puts her book down that Nicole is distracted. 

Waverly leans forward, watching over Nicole’s shoulder as she works. Nicole feels a bit self conscious at the feeling of being watching, her fingers stuttering over the keys. It isn’t until Waverly’s fingers absentmindedly tangle in her hair that the older girl really pauses, her eyes fluttering closed as Waverly plays with her hair.

“Nicole, what are you doing tonight?” Waverly questions, giving Nicole a reason to turn and look at her.

“I was going to study, but it’s nothing that can’t wait,” Nicole responds, quirking an eyebrow at the younger girl. “Did you have something else in mind?”

Waverly grins then, big and bright, and nods.

“Wynonna wants to meet my roommate, which is you,” Waverly says, her fingers straying the Nicole’s shoulder to draw circles on her skin. “She’s having a game party. I don’t know what that includes, really, but she really wants us to come.”

“Okay, Waves,” Nicole says, chuckling at the brunette’s enthusiasm. 

“Yeah?” Waverly asks, pulling her hand away to pump her fist excitedly. “Her friend Henry is bringing his Switch.”

“His what?” Nicole says, choking on air as she sets aside her laptop, shifting her body to face Waverly in full.

“His Nintendo Switch,” Waverly says, in a  _ d u h  _ voice. “Wynonna knows she can bribe me with Mario Kart.”

“Really?” Nicole asks, her voice lifting a bit. “Is it really that interesting?”

“What, you’ve never played?” Waverly responds sarcastically.

“No…”

Nicole sees her mistake immediately, a mix of shock and excitement flashing over Waverly’s face all at one. The redhead groans, crossing her arms on the couch cushions to prop her chin up as she watches Waverly.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Nicole mutters.

“Oh, I’m gonna kick your ass!” Waverly says. “After a some practice races, of course. I’m going to teach you so I can win fair and square. Then I’ll kick your ass.”

“What time?” Nicole asks, turning to gather up for laptop and notebook to bring to her room.

“In a couple hours,” Waverly says. “I’ll drive us there around 7.”

“Sounds good,” Nicole agrees. "I've got nowhere else to be."

“Wynonna says there will be pizza,” Waverly adds. “Jeremy from our old biology study group is coming too, and a couple other people.”

“You don’t have to sell it to me,” Nicole says with a laugh, standing over the younger girl, who looks up at her with a suddenly timid smile. “I’m there.”

Waverly nods, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Nicole offers her a hand, pulling her up from the couch. They’re standing close for a second, way too close, and Nicole is frozen for a moment until Waverly steps around her.

Later that night, Nicole has changed from her sweats and tee to jeans and a crop top with an old windbreaker to complete the look. She feels stupid when Waverly grabs her keys, still in her comfy-casual hoodie and leggings. But then looking at the girl, Nicole remembers Waverly is stunning in anything, and she feels less overdressed.

The drive to Wynonna’s apartment is only twenty minutes, and they arrive there about the same time as Wynonna is returning with pizza. A few others start arriving soon after. Jeremy from freshman biology, his boyfriend Robin, and Wynonna’s friends Henry, Xavier, Rosita, and Chrissy. 

Needless to say the pizzas are gone within minutes, but that’s all it takes for Nicole to feel like a part of the group. Wynonna offers drinks, and Waves turns her down since she drove. Nicole takes a shot of whiskey before joining Waverly at Henry’s Switch. 

Waverly pats the carpet next to her, right in front of the TV because the younger girl insists she can’t see from the couch.

Nicole glances around as Waverly sets up the system. Jeremy and Robin have made their way to the couch to sit and watch while Wynonna and the others gather around the coffee table to play cards.

Nicole sits up as straight as she can in the cramped living room, but Waverly leans her back against Wynonna’s, making herself comfortable as the older Earp nurses a whiskey and passes out cards.

Nicole relaxes a bit at the sight, and she even joins the conversation at the table when someone turns to include the two girls. And maybe she accepts a few shots offered to her by the older Earp.

By the end of the night, Waverly is seething. Nicole has never seen her so upset, but somehow her features still have a soft look to them.

“I cannot believe you’ve never played,” Waverly grumbles, tossing away her remote to cross her arms after Nicole took first place from her again. “Seriously, I don’t believe you at all.”

Nicole laughs, resting a hand on Waverly’s arm. 

“Would it make you feel better if I said I’ve played before?” Nicole asks, laughing harder when Waverly shoots her a glare. “It’s just luck, Waves, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not luck and you know it,” the brunette shoots back, picking up her remote to start a new race. “You’re good and you like winning, or else you would’ve let me win more.”

Nicole rolls her eyes but the smile doesn’t leave her face.

“Okay, well I’m going to make a trip to the restroom. Why don’t you start a race with someone else and get some practice in.”

Waverly scowls, but offers the remote to Jeremy, who comes to take over for Nicole. When Nicole asks Wynonna for directions to the bathroom, the older Earp stands up and offers to show her where it is.

She leads Nicole down the hall, only to stretch her arm across the door frame of the bathroom, blocking Nicole’s way.

“Alright, Haughtstuff,” Wynonna says, her voice stricter than it has been throughout the night. “Are you being nice to my baby sister? She says you’re an angel roommate but I don’t believe that. What are you hiding?”

Nicole just laughs nervously, tucking a hair behind her ear as her mind races for a response to the improv interrogation.

“Yeah, no, I’m not hiding anything,” Nicole says, smiling cautiously while the other girl’s face remains serious.

“That’s okay, I don’t expect you to tell me,” Wynonna says in a teasing manner. “Just remember I’m crazy and I love my baby sister, so don’t hurt her.”

“We’re roommates, what am I gonna do, put the toilet paper backwards on the rack?”

“Yeah, Haught, don’t do that,” Wynonna says, lifting her arm away from the door. “That’s fucked, really. But I mean as a friend, roommate, whatever. I’ve only known you for one night, but I see the way you look at her.”

“I don’t- Waverly isn’t-” Nicole stutters, blushing despite herself. “I don’t see her like that.”

“No, I understand,” Wynonna says, her voice quieter but her face closing in enough that Nicole can smell the whiskey. “Waverly is beautiful. Everyone loves her. Just don’t hurt her if you think you want to go there.”

Nicole decides to stop arguing since they’ve been back here a suspiciously long time. Instead she just nods, walking into the bathroom to shut the door. When she comes back out, she takes Jeremy’s place on the couch. Soon after, Waverly trades off with Robin.

Wynonna convinces Waverly and Nicole to play a couple rounds of Bullshit, but they leave soon after. Wynonna offers Nicole another shot of whiskey before they leave, and she accepts gratefully as everyone says a tipsy goodbye to the two girls.

The liquid burns her throat, making her a bit dizzier than before.

Twenty minutes later they’re pulling up to their own apartment, Waverly seemingly less giddy than she was an hour ago, and Nicole’s tipsiness is beginning to wear off enough to notice.

“You okay, Waves?” Nicole asks, climbing out of the girl’s Jeep and walking around.

“Yeah, yeah,” she says. “Just, you didn’t say much on the ride home. Or when we were playing cards. Was this okay? Did you not like them?”

“Oh, Waverly, no,” Nicole says, taking the younger girl’s arm to lead them to their apartment. “They were great. And Wynonna is great. I’m just tired, that’s all. I had fun.”

“Oh, good,” Waverly says, her voice chipper again. “I think everyone really liked you too. Jeremy was impressed with your Mario Kart skills. He never beats me. And Wynonna doesn’t offer whiskey to just anyone. I saw Henry try to take a shot after pizza and Wy nearly ripped his head off.”

“Oh,” Nicole says, opening their door. “Yeah, she seems nice. And she has good whiskey.”

Waverly laughed, pushing past the door. They don’t bother to turn lights on, they just take turns showering and say their goodnights and don’t see each other again until after their classes Monday. 

Nicole thinks of her every other second while they’re apart, only sparing the seconds in between to chastise herself. She knows Waverly has been talking to a couple guys, has seen the messages and heard the stories from the girl herself. And roommates is a line she doesn’t want to cross,  _ won’t  _ cross. 

_ So what  _ if her heart seizes and her brain goes into overdrive when she sees Waverly smile or hears her voice. Waverly is not hers, and despite what Wynonna seems to think, it’s not really  _ feelings _ , just an inevitable crush on a girl that  _ everyone  _ loves.


	2. There's An Ocean Inside My Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole go to Shorty's on a Tuesday night... So, more mentions of alcohol, and a very drunk Nicole.

When Waverly gets out of her last afternoon class Tuesday, she bikes to the nearby coffee shop to study, leaving her phone at the bottom of her bag to avoid the distractions. She normally studies at home with Nicole, but she’s got an exam coming up and the older girl’s presence always manages to distract Waverly.

Waverly knows she doesn’t do it on purpose, but she does it nonetheless. Sometimes it’s the tapping of her pen in the table while she reads an article, bringing Waverly’s attention to the noise and then her hands. Other times the redhead hums a bit with the music while she’s working, or she reads aloud as she reviews her work, even if it’s math. It really doesn’t bother Waverly, just makes her look up and glance at Nicole’s focused face for a few moments every now and then.

But Waverly needs to focus for her test Thursday, saving Wednesday for a short review. So Waverly sits alone in the coffee shop until she feels her stomach grumbling. She chastises herself for skipping lunch, seeing that it’s almost 7 and all she’s eaten since breakfast is a pastry.

Packing up her bag, Waverly reaches to grab her phone out and finds that she’s missed a lot of texts. Mostly from Wynonna, a mix of stupid, very Wynonna-ish jokes and actual messages. Waverly types a quick response to her sister, ignoring the messages from Jeremy, Chrissy, and Rosita for now.

She’s about to lock her phone when she sees Nicole’s name on her screen.

 

_ Nicole, 5:32pm - where are you? I’m gonna cook later, lmk if you want anything _

_ Nicole, 6:00pm - you ok? _

_ Nicole, 6:40pm - there’s tofu stir fry in the microwave in case you’re hungry! _

 

Waverly smiles, mostly at Nicole’s triple texting habit. Waverly isn’t afraid to send multiple texts without a response and she like that the older girl doesn’t mind it either. She makes sure to text Nicole back before putting her phone away and biking home.

 

_ Waverly, 6:50 - thanks, i’m about to leave the coffee shop. i’ll be home in a few mins _

 

When Waves walks inside, she can hear music playing from Nicole’s room. It’s their study playlist, so Waverly decides not to bother her. Instead she opens the microwave, and sure enough, Nicole has left her a plate there.

Waverly heats up the stir fry and then eats it in the blink of an eye, her stomach growling until the moment she’s finished her food. Nicole’s maybe not the best at cooking tofu, but Waverly appreciates it regardless.

She considers leaving a note outside the older girl’s door to thank her, but she decides to just knock on Nicole’s door instead. She probably won’t mind the distraction for just a moment.

Nicole’s door is closed where it’s usually cracked open, so Waverly knocks on the door. A moment later Nicole opens the door, her eyes not really focusing on Waverly’s for a moment. Then she steps back, waving for hand for Waverly to come in.

Waverly glances around the room, taking in the sight of open, annotated textbooks strewn across the room, notebooks and pens and highlighters covering the desk, a strange sight in the redhead’s usually-tidy room. Even Nicole herself looks frazzled, her hair mussed and her face tired.

“Stressed?” Waverly asks, plopping down at the foot of her bed while Nicole sits at the desk again, already back to work.

“A bit,” she says with a small, tight laugh that Waverly doesn’t believe. “Just trying to get ahead for the most part.”

Waverly nods, unsurprised. Nicole doesn’t let something like the cleanliness of her room slip for no reason. Waverly hums, lying back on the older girl’s mattress.

“Where’ve you been?” Nicole adds a moment later, turning her chair to face the brunette.

“I was studying at the coffee shop,” Waverly says to the ceiling. “I needed a change of scenery. Thanks for dinner, by the way.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Nicole says, leaning back in her chair. Waverly lifts herself onto her elbows, watching Nicole’s eyes flutter shut. She doesn’t really look tired though, just anxious.

“Wynonna works at a bar, you know,” Waverly says, sitting back up. “And Xavier works there too. It’s called Shorty’s. They could hook us up if you wanna go- just act sober as long as you can so Wy doesn’t cut you off too soon.”

“Yeah, that sounds fun,” Nicole says, not moving. “Just let me know when.”

“Oh, I meant tonight,” Waverly says with a blush. “Wynonna texted me from work. And I think we could both use the break.”

“Waves, it’s Tuesday,” Nicole says, opening her eyes to grin at the younger girl.

“I know,” Waverly responds with a smirk.

“Well, if we went it would only be around eight when we got there,” Nicole says, entertaining the idea. “So we could be in and out by eleven.”

“Is that a yes?” Waverly asks excitedly, trying to influence the hesitance she sees on Nicole’s face.

The older girl hesitates, almost says something, probably “no,” but then closes her mouth and nods instead.

“Give me a few minutes to get cleaned up, and I’ll get an Uber,” Nicole says with a defeated sigh. Not that it took much convincing.

“Yay!” Waverly squeals, jumping up and grabbing Nicole’s hands to pull the redhead to her feet. “First shot’s on me! And Wynonna makes me pay, so really.”

Nicole laughs, and Waverly squeezes her hands enthusiastically before bounding out of her room to change.

Waverly changes out of her blouse and light wash jeans, choosing a black cold-shoulder top and dark jeans instead. She touches up her makeup then goes to sit on the couch and wait. 

A few minutes later, Nicole comes into the living room wearing jeans, sneakers, and a black button-up shirt, the arms rolled up to her elbows. Her fiery hair is curled, brushing the tops of her shoulders, her hoop earrings on display and her highlight and lipstick standing out against her dark outfit.

“You ready to go? The Uber is right down the road,” Nicole says, shifting from one foot to the other. Waverly must’ve been zoned out, because she snaps into action when she hears Nicole speak, grabbing her purse in one hand and Nicole’s arm in the other.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Waverly says, smiling up at Nicole. She notices the older girl smiling down at a message on her phone and feels a pang of jealousy. “Hey, no phones. It’s Roomie Drinking Night.”

Nicole rolls her eyes but puts her phone in her pocket, leading Waverly down to the Uber. By the time they get to Shorty’s it’s surprisingly packed for a Tuesday night. There’s not much to do in Purgatory, or at Purgatory University for that matter. Waverly recognizes a few older students from college classes, greeting them all as she drags Nicole through the crowd and toward the bar.

Wynonna has spotted them by the time they reach the bar, already sliding two shots of whiskey towards them. 

“I get off work early tonight, but I told Xavier to keep an eye on you two,” Wynonna says immediately, her big sister voice nearly canceling out the sting of the whiskey as Nicole downs the shot.

“Hello to you too, Wynonna,” Waverly says, picking up her own shot and swallowing it in one quick gulp. 

Wynonna rolls her eyes, pouring them each another shot while Waverly slides a few bills across to her.

“Keep ‘em coming sis,” Waverly says, hearing Nicole chuckle at her side.

“I think two’s plenty,” Wynonna argues. “Two glasses of rum and coke?”

Waverly nods before turning to Nicole, a shot in each hand. The older girl downs it fast, and Waverly follows suit before turning to grab their drinks.

“Let’s find a booth,” Waverly says, already starting to feel light from the shots. “I need to set my stuff down so we can dance.”

Waverly misses the bulge of Nicole’s eyes, who hadn’t ever been to a bar with the younger girl before and didn’t realize she expected  _ dancing _ . 

“Can we finish our drinks first?” Nicole asks, sliding into a booth instead of waiting for an answer. “I’m gonna need a little bit of liquid courage for that.”

Waverly sighs, sliding into the booth across from Nicole before picking up her rum and coke to chug about half of it.

When Waverly puts her glass down, she notices that Nicole has released a couple more buttons at the top of her shirt, revealing the flushed skin on her chest below. Waverly takes another long sip of her drink noticing that Nicole follows suit. Waverly is already starting to feel a buzz, reaching the level of drunk she likes most. A little impulsive but still self-aware.

“So, I got a job interview at that coffee shop I like,” Waverly says to the Nicole, trying to start up a conversation as Nicole looks nervously around the bar. “I only asked for 20 hours a week, but it’s a start.”

“Oh, really?” Nicole says, her attention snapping back to Waverly, eyes softening. “That’s great, Waves. I bet you’ll love working there.”

“Yeah, I’m a little nervous about it but I’m excited,” Waverly said, taking another sip of her drink. “Did you apply for that internship at the sheriff’s station?”

“Yeah, I just submitted it yesterday so I’m still waiting to hear back about it,” Nicole responds with a shrug, crossing her hands on the table. “I probably won’t get it, but it’s worth a shot.”

“Hey, don’t do that Nic,” Waverly says, smiling softly and reaching out to lay her hands over Nicole’s. “You’re so smart and you have a great work ethic, and they’re going to recognize that. Don’t doubt it.”

Nicole blushes, her eyes falling to their hands on the table.

“I wasn’t baiting you,” Nicole says with a small smile. “You don’t have to say that.”

“Well, I mean it,” Wavery responds quickly, squeezing Nicole’s hand. “You’re so smart, and they would be crazy to turn you down.”

Nicole just nods, glancing back up at Waverly sheepishly.

“Thanks, Waves.”

“No thanks needed,” Waverly says as she pulls her hand back, grabbing her glass to finish off her drink. Nicole does the same before standing up, pushing herself out of the booth.

‘Want another drink?” Nicole asks. 

“No, thanks,” Waverly says, her smile never leaving her face. “Go ahead, though. I paid Wynonna plenty.”

Waverly watches as Nicole smiles, turning to walk towards the bar, her hips swaying just enough that Waverly notices. Nicole gets another drink from Wynonna, and as she walks back Waverly notices that it’s whiskey.

Waverly is a bit shocked, eyes wide. She’s seen Nicole drink whiskey before, of course, but had pegged her as more of a beer-in-public kind of girl.

Nicole sips at her drink, unflinching.

“Close your mouth, Earp,” Nicole says between sips. “You’ll catch flies that way.”

Waverly blushes, her mouth snapping shut as soon as she realizes it had been hanging open a bit. Nicole just smirks at her, still sipping at the whiskey.

“I thought you drank Wynonna’s whiskey because that’s about all she keeps in her apartment,” Waverly explains. “Didn’t know you actually liked it.”

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” Nicole counters.

“Oh, really?” Waverly challenges. “Like what?”

Nicole hesitates, trying to decide of Waverly is serious, and the younger girl notices, keeping up the eye contact to encourage her.

“I used to skip class to smoke cigarettes, for one,” Nicole says. “I haven’t always been so studious.”

“What?” Waverly says, mouth gaping again. “Goody-too-shoes Haught not only  _ skipped class _ but also smokes? Have you even missed on lecture at college? Do you still smoke?”

“No, I’m not answering those,” Nicole says with a laugh, sipping more and more of her whiskey. “It’s your turn now.”

“Oh,” Waverly says, feeling caught off guard by the other girl. “I don’t know… I’m not that exciting I guess.”

“I don’t believe that,” Nicole says, dimples reaching her cheeks. “Something I don’t know. It doesn’t have to be unexpected. Just a confession.”

“Okay, ahhh,” Waverly draws out, thinking hard though her brain feels a bit fuzzy. “I used to date a lot of trash guys in high school. That’s why I haven’t really tried again during college. I get bad about settling instead of asking for what I want.”

“There we go, Earp!” Nicole says, her voice starting to lilt from the alcohol in her system. “That’s interesting enough. I wondered why you haven’t been going on dates. I know people ask, I mean look at you.”

“Yeah, okay,” Waverly says, feeling her cheeks get warm unrelated to the alcohol. “And what about you? Don’t try to tell me no one’s asked  _ you _ out.”

Waverly watches Nicole’s face, her expressions loose and open compared to the way she usually hides her expressions. The redhead blushes just like Waverly had, her head dropping to look at her hands before she looks back up.

“Actually, I have a date Friday,” she says hesitantly. 

Waverly feels her chest drop, not sure why she feels jealous when she really doesn’t want to date. She tries not to let the burn deep inside show on her face, forcing a smile while Nicole empties her glass.

“Well, tell me who it is,” Waverly says teasingly. 

“No, no,” Nicole says, her facial expressions growing more dramatic. “I can’t, and you don’t even know her. We started texting about a group project and then we just didn’t stop texting.”

“Did you ask her out?” Waverly says, her curiosity getting the best of her when she really hates the bitterness she feels when Nicole talks about it.

“Nope, nopeity, no way,” Nicole says, shaking her head too hard and scowling at the pain right after. “She asked me. I mean, I flirted first I guess. But no.”

Waverly pauses for a minute, knowing a good friend would ask more. But she can’t make herself, so she changes the subject instead.

“Are you drunk enough to dance yet?” Waverly asks, leaning in to study Nicole’s face as if she can tell by looking. And she can.

“Oh, yeah, for sure,” Nicole says, standing up from the booth and holding out her hand for Waverly.

They make their way to the center of the dance floor, finding their place amongst the weekday drunks and restless college students. They dance face-to-face for awhile, Waverly laughing at the drunker girl’s fluid movements.

“You laughing at me?” Nicole shouts over the music, pretending to be offended but still dancing all the same.

“Here, let me show you,” Waverly shouts back, turning around and reaching back to pull Nicole’s hands to her waist. Waverly doesn’t think too much about it, grinding back on the older girl and swiveling her hips to the music.

The mix of alcohol and loud music and Nicole pulling her closer gives Waverly a bit of sensory overload, but just the kind she likes. She can feel everything, from the thrum of the music in her head to Nicole’s fingers gripping her waist

“Waves, I need another shot,” Nicole says, her voice low, breath tickling Waverly’s ear. “Want anything?”

Waverly nods her head no, shaking off the chill that reaches her shoulders as Nicole pulls away. She keeps dancing, enjoying the music while she waits for Nicole to return. She’s content until some guy makes his way over, trying to be subtle as he joins Waverly.

The guy tries to introduce himself over the music, and Waverly attempts to respond even though she can’t hear him, just to be polite. It’s only moments later that she feels familiar fingers tugging at her waist, Nicole’s soft body pressing lightly against her back.

“This guy bothering you?” Nicole husks, and Waverly can hear her grin, watching as the guy’s eyes move up over her shoulder to meet Nicole’s.

The guy shakes his head, saying something else Waverly can’t hear before he turns, probably searching for someone else to approach.

“Not anymore,” Waverly says as she starts to move against Nicole, her fingers brushing over the older girl’s hands on her waist.

They dance like this for what feels like a few minutes to Waverly but what must be a good while in real time. She can feel the alcohol wearing off, but the situation makes her feel lighter than she should.

At some point Nicole turns her around, hands still on her waist, and Waverly links her fingers behind the older girl’s neck, thumbs brushing against soft baby hairs. Nicole’s hazel eyes watching her are unfocused yet intense.

Waverly closes her own eyes for a while, focusing on the feeling of the music thrumming through her veins. She still can’t shake the feeling of Nicole watching her. She could probably dance like this all night, but she knows they both have afternoon classes tomorrow that they’ll need to be fully sober for.

So after a few songs she opens her eyes again, slowing the sway of her hips. Nicole smiles at her loopily, dimples stretching across the redhead’s cheeks. 

“Ready to go?” Waverly asks, leaning in so Nicole can hear her.

Nicole leans in a bit too, paralleling her movements. The older girl hesitates then nods, leaning back to take her phone from her pocket. Nicole is clearly drunker than Waverly, her hands trembling a bit as she opens her phone to pull up her Uber app. Waverly rolls her eyes, taking the phone from Nicole and leading her away from the crowd.

Waverly nudges Nicole into their booth, standing close to make sure she stays put. After ordering an Uber, she slides the drunk girl’s phone into her purse so Nicole can’t drunk text anyone. When the Uber arrives, she waves goodbye to Wynonna from across the room, blowing a kiss to her older sister. Wynonna rolls her eyes while Waverly drags Nicole out of the booth, wrapping an arm around her waist to help her to the door.

Nicole is quiet on the ride home, spending half the time struggling with her seatbelt as Waverly watches on in amusement from the front seat. Nicole then slouches back dramatically, arms and legs splayed out.

“Waves,” Nicole says, mostly slurring her words. “Hey, Waverly.”

“Right here, Nic,” Waverly says, turning to look at her.

“We should do this more often,” is all Nicole says before closing her eyes.

Waverly chuckles as she turns back around, feeling herself getting tired too. It’s not even midnight yet but it feels much later. When they get back home, Waverly pays the Uber on Nicole’s phone and leaves a generous cash tip, thanking him for the ride before helping Nicole out of the back seat.

She struggles getting the taller girl inside their apartment, since every stumble from Nicole nearly drags Waverly along with her. Waverly helps the older girl into her room, picking up a few aspirins and two water bottles along the way.

Nicole collapses onto her bed when they get to her room, tugging at Waverly’s hand to sit beside her. Waverly allows herself to pulled in, handing her a couple aspirins and unscrewing a water bottle for the girl before taking one herself.

“Thanks,” Nicole mutters, hardly acknowledging Waverly’s presence afterwards.

Nicole kicks off her shoes after, reaching for the buttons of her shirt to pull that off too. Waverly realizes what she’s doing in time to stand up and look away. The younger girl opens one of Nicole’s dresser drawers, pulling out what looks like a sleep shirt to pass over to her.

Nicole is still struggling with the buttons when Waverly turns back around, and the brunette can’t help but laugh, leaning down on her knees between Nicole’s legs. She swats the older girl’s hands away to take over. 

Waverly doesn’t realize she’s holding her breath until her fingertips brush against the skin of Nicole’s abdomen when she reaches the last button, letting out a shaky breath. She breathes in deeply, pushing the sleeves down Nicole’s shoulders so she can shake it the rest of the way off. Then she reaches for the sleep shirt, tugging it over Nicole’s head as quickly as she can.

Nicole watches Waverly closely as she works, then reaches up behind herself to unhook her bra, sliding it out from her shirt and throwing it over Waverly’s shoulder onto the floor.

“Thanks, Waves,” Nicole says softly, too fatigued for her dimples to really reach her cheeks when she smiles. “I got the rest.”

“No problem,” Waverly responds, patting the older girl’s thigh before starting to stand up. “Goodnight, Nicole.”

Nicole reaches for Waverly’s arm though, encouraging her to stay put without holding her there too forcefully. 

“You can stay in here tonight, if you want,” Nicole slurs. “Don’t like to sleep alone when I’m drunk. But it’s okay if you like to sleep alone drunk.”

Waverly pauses, thinking it over a bit before nodding, holding up a finger to say “Wait here.” Then she goes to her room and throws on her pajamas, brushing her teeth and washing her face in the bathroom. On second thought, she grabs a makeup wipe to bring to Nicole.

When she returns, Nicole is already lying back in her bed, eyes closed, the comforter up to her chin. Waverly slips under the sheets, propping herself up on one elbow and using her free hand to wipe off Nicole’s makeup. The older girl doesn’t move, but smiles a little bit as Waverly gently rubs off her mascara.

After tossing the makeup wipe into the trash Waverly flips off the lamp, leaving on only the fairy lights beside the bed. She settles down a bit on her side, trying to keep a respectful distance from the older girl, who is definitely not wearing pants if her bare legs brushing against Waverly's is any indication. But Nicole, in her drunken state, closes the distance to snuggle up next to Waverly.

“Hey,” Nicole says, her eyes fluttering open, fingers reaching up to touch Waverly’s face. “You’re an angel, Waverly Earp. I like you.”

“I like you too,” Waverly says, matching Nicole’s smile in the dim light.

“No,” Nicole argues, shaking her head a little bit, her eyes sliding shut again. “I mean I really like you.”

“Oh,” Waverly says, trying to ignore the way her own heart rate picks up at the words. "You're very drunk, Nicole."

"I know," Nicole whispers, resting an arm on Waverly's waist. "Doesn't mean I don't mean it."

Waverly studies Nicole’s face, her expressions peaceful and relaxed as she curls up closer to the brunette. 

“You’re not going to remember this tomorrow, huh?”

Nicole doesn’t respond, her breathing slowing, so Waverly lies back. She uses one arm as a pillow and wraps the other around Nicole, who lets out soft huffs of breath against Waverly’s neck and slips a leg in between the younger girls’ calves.

It doesn’t take long for Waverly to fall asleep like this, tangled up with Nicole and holding her close, chests rising and falling together, an ocean of calm waves filling her head where there are usually endless thoughts.

 

Nicole wakes in the morning feeling like something’s missing, but she's snuggled up with her pillows, comforter pulled to her neck, just like she normally sleeps.  Rubbing her temples and looking at the clock, Nicole sees that it’s almost noon.

_ Jesus, _ Nicole thinks.

Waverly probably left already since she has a class right after noon, and Nicole has about thirty minutes before her own class starts. She drags herself out of bed, deciding the off-putting feeling she has is due to her slight hangover. 

Nicole takes an aspirin and showers before going to class, and afterwards she heads to the library to study, texting Waverly an invitation. The younger girl doesn’t respond, and Nicole doesn’t think much of it, knowing that Waves shuts off her phone for long periods of time when she needs to focus.

Waverly doesn’t come home until late that night. Nicole is sitting on the couch, a book in her hand and a blanket draped over her legs. It’s almost eleven at night when she starts drifting off into sleep, her book falling to her chest, finger still marking the page. 

She feels like she’s just fallen asleep when Waverly nudges her awake.

“Hey,” Waverly says softly, leaning over Nicole. “You need to go to bed, sleepy. You’re going to be sore if you sleep here.”

Nicole starts to sit up, barely smelling Waverly’s perfume before the younger girl pulls back and hurries away to her room. Nicole stands up with a stretch, disoriented by  her nap and confused by Waverly’s rushing away.

The next few days go about the same way, Waverly leaving early and coming home late just to lock herself in her room. Nicole starts to worry, but there’s not much she can do when the brunette will hardly acknowledge her. Even her text messages get short responses where Waves normally may write out full sentences or send several short messages.

They still have their movie night Thursday, much to Nicole’s surprise. But Waverly sits on the opposite end of the couch, hardly speaking two words the whole time. Part of Nicole is hurt by her distance, but she reminds herself that it’s probably better that way considering how she feels when Waverly- her friend and roommate- sits too close.

Nicole can feel herself getting really anxious by Friday,  concerned that she did something wrong. Truthfully she can’t remember much about Tuesday night, just that she must’ve been far drunker than Waverly. 

She tries to remember if she’d told Waverly before Tuesday that she’s a lesbian. The girl hadn't seemed shocked, and even if she had been, she knows that Waverly wouldn’t react this way to something like that.

Then she wonders if she said something to offend the girl in her drunken stupor, but she can’t remember talking much after they left the booth. All Nicole remembers is bits and pieces of the rest of the night, feeling the younger girl move against her body while they danced, the way Waverly’s skin felt under Nicole’s fingers, and maybe some of the quiet car ride home where she sat in the backseat wishing Waverly was beside her.

Yeah, maybe the distance Waverly is putting between them is for the best. Maybe, Nicole thinks while she grimaces outwardly, Waverly even caught on to Nicole’s crush. Maybe she stared too long or held Waverly too close while they were dancing.

Regardless, they’d have to work it out later, because Nicole has a date planned. At this point in the week, she’s not feeling energized enough to make small talk, but then she’s almost sure that her date Shae isn’t interested in talking much. And Nicole needs something to get her mind off Waverly, her ridiculously soft skin, and her stupidly soft voice.

Nicole knows that Waverly is locked in her room tonight, and she considers knocking on the younger girl’s door to say goodbye. But there’s no mistaking the way Waverly has been avoiding her, so she just sends a text instead.

 

_ Nicole, 7:49 - i’m heading out, be back later tonight _

_ Waverly, 7:49 - ok i’m about to go out too. see u tomorrow _

 

Nicole is at first shocked at how many words Waverly sent, feeling a little bit of hope. She just wants to see her friend’s smile again- not just the usual one but the softer one she saves for Nicole. It’s probably the same smile, but there’s at least something different about Waverly’s eyes when her smile is directed toward Nicole, that much she knows.


	3. You Know My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot happens in this chapter honestly. There is some angst but it’s resolved quickly, I promise.
> 
> This story overall is named after a song by Vance Joy, HOWEVER, I would like to dedicate this chapter to If I Tremble by Front Porch Step because it’s such a Wayhaught song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the comments on the past chapters! It means a lot to me that y'all enjoy reading and inspires me to keep going. I love y'all sm!

Waverly finds herself sitting alone at Shorty’s a few minutes after Nicole had left for her date. She’s only drinking soda, waiting for Wynonna to get off work. Waverly watches as the bar fills up, getting much more packed and humid than it had been Tuesday.

Tuesday. Waverly tries not to think about Tuesday. About Nicole’s breath on her shoulder, or her face pressed against Waverly’s neck as they slept. About Nicole’s confession, a drunken one albeit. 

It’s not that Waverly doesn’t feel anything for the older girl- it’s the opposite. She doesn’t want her heart to drop every time her roommate touches her, she just wants to get through college without strings. 

So she sits alone in a bar alone, ignoring anyone who tries to talk to her while she’s waiting for her big sister to join her, trying not to feel jealous as she thinks about Nicole on a date with another girl. And now that she’s recognized the jealousy is for the stranger and not Nicole’s romantic life in general, Waverly can’t stop thinking about it. So she’s relieved when she sees Wynonna walking her way, sliding into the booth.

“Thanks for coming to see me, babygirl,” Wynonna says with a grin, passing Waverly another soda. “I feel like we haven’t talked in awhile.”

“Yeah, I’ve just been busy with schoolwork,” Waverly says sheepishly. “And I had a job interview Wednesday. I start working at the coffee shop just off campus Monday.”

“Wednesday?” Wynonna asks “Like, hungover Wednesday?”

“I wasn’t really hungover,” Waverly says with a laugh. “I didn’t get super drunk and then I drank plenty of water that night too.”

“Speaking of that night,” Wynonna segues off rather unsubtly. “What’s the deal with you and Haught?”

Waverly freezes, then regrets not acting cooler because with that reaction there’s no way Wynonna would believe some lie.

“Uh, oh, nothing,” Waverly stutters out, knowing she has to try.

“Stop that, babygirl,” Wynonna says, smirking. “I know that friends can dance like that platonically- hell, I have- but that wasn’t platonic. I could tell from across the room. And now you’re sulking. What’s up?”

“I’m not sulking,” Waverly retorts.

“Ah, selective hearing,” Wynonna says with a grin. “Part of the Earp charm, but it’s not gonna work on me, little sis.”

Waverly sighs, shoulders slouching forward.

“I don’t know, she mentioned that she liked me when she was drunk, and I don’t think she meant as friends,” Waverly confesses. “Then she asked me to sleep in her bed with her, and being the idiot I am, I did. I left early in the morning, and she was too drunk to remember, but now I can’t even look at her without wanting to do it again sober. And I came here to get my mind off it, so thanks for bringing it up.”

“So, why don’t you talk to her about it,” Wynonna questions, ignoring Waverly’s last comment. “You both like each other, right?”

“I don’t want a relationship, Wy-”

“You want to get through college on your own, I know, I know,” Wynonna teases. “But Nicole probably isn’t like Champ, you know. Just because you’ve had bad relationships in the past doesn’t mean they’re all gonna be like that.”

“It’s not about that, it’s about-”

“Your education?” Wynonna interrupts again. “You’re smart enough to juggle your needs, babygirl. And you deserve someone who will make you happy. Haught seems okay, you know?”

“No, I really can’t,” Waverly argues, eyes dropping to her hands. “She’s dating, anyways. She’s on a date right now.”

“Oh, Waves,” Wynonna says affectionately, her hands reaching for Waverly’s. “I don’t mean to be insensitive, but… You haven’t really tried anything with her, and she probably doesn’t even know you’re gay. Have you told her?”

“Not really…” Waverly says with a sigh.

“Maybe if you told her, she would stop dating other people and start dating you.”

“I still don’t want that, Wy,” Waverly says. “I just want to stop thinking about her. It’s so much easier that way.”

Wynonna watches her for a minute, and Waverly is sure she’s not going to let it go. But then she just nods, patting Waverly’s hand and changing the topic. They talk for over an hour, eating dinner at some point, before Wynonna says she has to go.

They hug goodbye outside, promising to talk again soon. Waverly finds herself driving around for half an hour after that, windows down and music blaring, wind whipping her hair into knots. She doesn’t go back to the apartment until it’s almost 9, and even then she only returns because she wants to get some sleep and wake up early for a run.

The apartment is still dark and empty when she walks inside. She only flips on the light in the bathroom and the lamp at her bedside table before she showers and crawls into bed. She still doesn’t feel like sleeping, so she grabs a book and leans back to read.

A few minutes later she hears the door open and close back softly. Waverly almost gets up to say goodnight to Nicole, but then she hears the older woman whispering, a second voice responding with a laugh. And then their voices cut off. Waverly can hear every step they make towards Nicole’s room, her stomach twisting as a Nicole’s door shuts and a body thumps back against it.

Waverly reaches over to her bedside table for her headphones before she remembers they broke just yesterday. She sits back, feeling herself panic, unsure what to do. She can hear Nicole’s muffled voice shushing the other girl, saying “ _ you have to be quiet”  _ and “ _ shhh, I think my roommate’s sleeping _ .” 

The unfamiliar voice laughs and murmurs something back. Waverly feels stuck in place, her heart racing as the stranger's high-pitched moan flows through the apartment. It isn’t until she hears Nicole’s lower moan in response that Waverly flies out of bed, changing out of her pajamas and into workout clothes at lightning-speed.

Waverly throws a change of clothes in her gym bag and slips out of the apartment as quietly as she can, the tips of her ears burning as she tries to tamp down her emotions instead of acknowledging what they mean. She drives to her gym, relieved they’re open late, and works out for an hour.

There are only a handful of other people working out here at night, mostly other students, and Waverly welcomes the general quietness of the space.

Focusing on her workout, her breathing, and her heart rate allows Waverly stop thinking about all the  _ other things  _ for an hour before she allows herself to slow down. Then she makes her way to the locker room and takes a long, hot shower there.

_ Just stop thinking about her _ , Waverly tells herself, steaming water pouring over her face, thinking that clearly Nicole made a mistake Tuesday night.  _ You’re her friend, and that’s all. Maybe she should’ve put a sock on her door tonight, but it was an honest mistake. _

Waverly is sure it’s safe for her to go back home after her workout, but she still lingers at the front desk to introduce herself to the night shift employee and make small talk before returning to her apartment.

When she gets home, she enters with a newfound confidence, ready to take on the tense aura of her shared apartment and wrangle it into a platonic, easy-going ambiance.

That’s   _ nearly  _  all out the window when she walks in and Nicole is standing in the kitchen, wearing only a white sweater and black panties, lazily steeping tea in one of Waverly’s mugs. 

Waverly kicks off her shoes, padding into the kitchen to rest her hip on one of the counters. Nicole seems to be in her world and only notices Waverly once the younger girl clears her throat.

“Jesus, Waverly,” Nicole says with a jump, tugging down the hem of her short sweater. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I was at the gym,” Waverly responds with a smirk and a quirk of an eyebrow. “Just getting a late night workout in. Like, with weights. And a treadmill.”

Nicole looks lost for only a moment, then a red blush starts to spread from her neck to her cheeks.

“Oh, Waverly, I’m sorry-” Nicole stutters, her eyes wide.

“It’s fine,” Waverly interrupts, moving closer to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Just give a girl some warning next time.”

“Right,” Nicole says, flickering her gaze down. “A warning. Next time. Do you want tea?”

“You only made one cup,” Waverly says, feeling at least a little better that she’s making Nicole squirm.

“Yeah, no, yeah,” Nicole rambles, glancing back at her tea. “I’m not really thirsty, though. You can have it. It’s chamomile. It helps you sleep. I can add sugar for you if you want, but that probably won’t help with the sleep, so maybe not.”

“Nicole,” Waverly murmurs, drawing the girls’ attention back to her eyes. “It’s okay, really.”

Nicole nods, picking up the mug of tea to take a sip of it, her eyes trained on Waverly’s face the whole time. Waverly almost turns to leave, but when a strand of hair slips from behind Nicole’s ear she finds herself reaching up to push it back. She doesn’t let her fingers linger for too long.

“Did I say anything weird Tuesday?” Nicole asks, almost a whisper into the silence between them.

Waverly considers telling her everything that happened Tuesday night, but in the end it wasn’t a big deal. Just two roommates sharing each other’s space. Maybe they had been a bit closer than usual that night, but it was just Waverly’s rose-tinted glasses wanting to make more of it.

“No, nothing,” Waverly says plainly, allowing herself to believe her admittance.

“Then why have you been avoiding me?” Nicole asks. “I mean, before tonight. Now I expect you to avoid me.”

“I won’t,” Waverly says with a laugh. “And I was before, but I don’t want to get into why, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Okay,” Nicole says with a nod. “As long as we’re good now?”

“We’re good,” Waverly says with a nod.

  
  


Nicole wakes up alone in bed early Saturday morning, wondering why she woke up at 7 in the morning- until she grabs her phone and sees several missed calls from her kid brother. 

Forcing herself to sit up, she calls back Nate, only having time to open the blinds and yawn before he picks up.

“Hey, Nicky,” Nate says cheerily from the other end of the line. “Are you coming home tonight?”

“I thought your birthday party was Sunday, squirt,” she groans back.

“Yeah but tonight we’re having a movie night with just the family,” Nate says. “Mom said she texted you about it.”

Nicole can picture her mother greeting her Sunday morning with a side-hug, halfheartedly apologizing that she forgot Nicole’s invitation for Saturday. Her father would join in too, claiming that they meant to text and it just slipped their minds. 

But Nate didn’t need to worry about the animosity between his parents and his big sister, and Nicole would love nothing more than to intrude on family night uninvited if it meant seeing her little brother longer.

“Yeah, she texted,” Nicole responds after a moment. “I must’ve forgotten, but I’ll be there. And let mom and dad know I’m coming, I can’t remember if I told them.”

“Yay!” Nate yells across the phone. “Do I get to open my gift from you tonight, then? Mom and dad are giving me my gifts early instead of at the party.”

“Maybe so. Do you have dinner plans tomorrow? Maybe we can go out to eat, just the two of us.”

“Dad’s gonna cook, but nothing special. I’ll tell them we’re going out to eat!”

“Hey, ask don’t tell,” Nicole scolds. “I gotta hang up so I can pack. See you tonight.”

“Okay, okay,” Nate says before hanging up.

  
  


Waverly is sitting at the kitchen table eating fruit and reading the news on her phone when Nicole finally emerges from the hallway, freshly showered and still looking exhausted. 

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Waverly says, glancing back down at her phone with a smile as Nicole yawns in response.

“Morning, Wave,” Nicole says after cutting off her yawn and stretching out her arms. “What’re you doing today?”

“Just studying, maybe doing laundry if I get a chance,” Waverly says. “What about you?”

“I’m driving home early for my brother’s birthday,” Nicole says. “Apparently there’s a family movie night my parents  _ forgot  _ to invite me to, and I told Nate I’d take him to dinner tonight.”

“Nicole, you look exhausted,” Waverly says as she glances back up. “How long is the drive home?”

“It’s only four hours,” Nicole says, sliding into the chair across from Waverly. “I’ll just drink some coffee and turn the radio on.”

“You’re sure you don’t need rest?” Waverly asks hesitantly.

“I’m sure, Waverly,” Nicole says with a laugh. “I can nap this afternoon if I need to. And this way I can surprise him tomorrow morning, maybe take him to the aquarium in the city.”

“Oh, well the aquarium sounds fun,” Waverly says, sitting up straighter.

“He goes there all the time but I don’t think it ever gets old to him,” Nicole elaborates. “And I haven’t been since I worked there a few summers ago, so I’m curious to see who’s still there.”

“You worked at an aquarium?” Waverly asks, picturing a younger Nicole caring for aquatic animals. “I’ve never even been to an aquarium. What was it like?”

Nicole hesitates, a conspiratory smile lifting on her face, dimples ever present.

“You’ve never been to an aquarium?” Nicole responds, ignoring Waverly’s question.

“No,” Waverly says, trying to read Nicole’s expression.

“Would you like to?” Nicole asks. “You could come to my brother’s birthday, if you wanted. I’m sure my parents would love to meet my roommate.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t intrude,” Waverly says as she catches on, though truthfully she’d love to be stuck in a car for hours with Nicole, to meet her little brother and her old coworkers.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to, but really, my family wouldn’t mind,” Nicole says. “And I’ve told Nate about you because you’re so alike, and I know he wants to meet you.”

Waverly can feel herself soften at Nicole’s words, unable to hide her confusion at Nicole’s last comment.

“Just, you both like history,” Nicole explains, a blush tinting her cheeks. “And your optimism, I mean. You’d have to meet him to get it I guess.”

Waverly thinks over her schedule and her assignments, taking in Nicole’s patient demeanor as she thinks.

“Will we be back by Monday?” Waverly asks, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“Sunday night,” Nicole says, not bothering to hide her excited grin.

“Okay,” Waverly says, finally letting herself smile.

“Yes?” Nicole asks. “Yay! I’m just going to let my parents know, okay? Can you be ready to leave by 9?”

Waverly nods, soaking in Nicole’s excitement with only a little bit of regret. 

_ I can handle this, _ she tells herself.  _ This is what friends do. I’m good at being a good friend. I can do this. _

 

Nicole packs her duffel bag and Waverly’s little suitcase into the trunk of her car while she waits for Waverly to meet her outside, texting Shae to let her know she’d be out of town for a couple days.

Her parents had been ecstatic to meet Nicole’s roommate, which makes her nervous for Waverly. She’s never brought home a roommate, friend, girlfriend, anyone. So she’s not sure the extent to which her family will interrogate the girl.

She had been worried Nate wouldn’t want anyone to interfere with their sibling time, but he had sounded really excited to meet Waverly. At the end of the day, Nicole always had at least one ally at home.

Waverly comes outside in a sweater and jeans, with her glasses resting on her nose, presumably so she didn’t have to pack her contacts. Nicole finds herself swallowing hard at the sight. 

They both get into the car without talking. Nicole starts the car and turns on the radio, and Waverly bundles up in the passenger seat with a knit blanket and a book in her hand. It almost looks like a textbook, but when she opens it Nicole can tell from the pictures and thick pages that it’s just an old history book.

She smiles, focusing her eyes on the road as she starts the drive home, and for awhile a comfortable silence settles between the two. Nicole is humming to herself as she merges onto the highway when she feels Waverly’s eyes on her.

Turning, she catches Waverly’s eyes flickering from her face and over to the dashboard.

“Is it too loud?” Nicole asks, already reaching over to turn down the volume.

“No, the music is fine,” Waverly says, clearing her throat and looking back down to her book.

Nicole watches her for a moment, eyes glancing back between Waverly and the road before settling on the road. Nicole reaches over to turn the volume down a bit more before speaking.

“Will you read it to me?” Nicole asks quietly.

“You want me to read  _ Quest For the Past _ out loud?” Waverly asks, and Nicole can feel her looking at Nicole with a grin.

“Yes,” the older girl challenges, eyes still on the road. “If you don’t mind?”

Waverly hesitates, but then she clears her throat and starts reading. Sure, Nicole doesn’t really care about loyalty in the ancient Ur or the miracle of the Nile, but Waverly’s voice is soothing and she finds herself paying apt attention anyways. Every once in awhile Waverly pauses to highlight something or write a note in the margins.

It isn’t until they stop for gas that Waverly shuts the book and tosses it in the back seat. She sits quietly while Nicole fills up the gas tank, but Nicole can tell when the brunette’s mind is working. 

Nicole doesn’t say anything as she’s pulling away from the gas station, just waits until Waverly finally speaks.

“Do you mind if I ask about your family?” Waverly asks.

“What about them?” Nicole responds with a small glance in the younger girl’s direction.

“Um, I don’t know really,” Waverly confesses. “I sense that there is… tension. With your parents, I mean.”

“You sensed right,” Nicole says with a chuckle. “I came out to them a year before I left for college. It was when I was working at the aquarium, actually. I knew this girl there… I mean, I almost always knew I wasn’t straight. But when I worked with this girl- nothing even happened between us, but I had feelings for her- I just couldn’t ignore it. And when I told my parents, their solution was to ignore it.

“It was a phase, you know? Just something I would get past. And within a year when it didn’t go away, they started making it clear that my  _ decision  _ to be a lesbian was frowned upon. They still support me financially, but there’s been a rift between us since I came out.”

“I’m sorry, Nicole,” Waverly says softly.

“Don’t be, Waves,” Nicole says, trying to sound sincere. “Really, it’s not a big deal. We’ve both stopped trying to fix each other, and our relationship is just different now. But I still have parents, supportive or not.”

“I understand,” Waverly says. “Doesn’t mean I like it.”

“You and me both,” Nicole says, smiling over at Waverly so maybe she’d stop frowning. “I know they still love me. And Nate loves me absolutely unconditionally, which is what really matters to me. You know how siblings are.”

“Yeah, I do,” Waverly says, finally smiling. “Wynonna has always supported me. Good siblings can’t be beat, right?”

“Right,” Nicole says, pausing before segueing into a question. “Do you want to tell me about your family?”

“Well, it’s really just Wynonna, Gus, and me,” Waverly says. “Uncle Curtis passed away a couple of years ago, but sometimes it feels like he’s still here. We’re all pretty close-knit. Gus and Curtis mostly raised me and Wynonna, and even now Gus helps us out however she can. And you know how close I am with Wynonna.”

“And what about your parents?” Nicole asks cautiously, risking a glance over at the younger girl.

“Oh,” Waverly says, ducking her head down. “Maybe a conversation for another day?”

Nicole nods, reaching over to place a hand on Waverly’s thigh, brushing her pinky along the younger girl’s thumb. Waverly closes the distance, lacing her fingers through Nicole’s and holding tight.

For the rest of the drive, they listen to whatever radio stations they can reach. Waverly doesn’t let go of Nicole’s hand, and Nicole doesn’t dare move hers away either.


	4. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long guys! I’ve been busy with college and everything but hopefully the next update won’t take so long. I’ve got a lot of plans for the next chapter and your comments and encouragement keep me going!   
> There’s some family drama in this one but there’s also Nicole being comforted by Waverly. I hope y’all enjoy this chapter!

Nicole’s house isn’t small per say, but it’s got a quaint atmosphere about it. It’s a two-story, four-bedroom home in a nice neighborhood on the edge of the city, Waverly discovers.

As soon as they reach the driveway, Waverly sees the door cracking open, then a small boy with dark curls is bounding across the yard toward the car. 

Waverly unbuckles her seatbelt, watching a smile form on Nicole’s face as she does the same. Nicole has barely stepped out of the car when the kid jumps up, wrapping his arms around her neck, and the redhead nearly falls over backwards catching him.

“Careful, squirt,” Nicole says with a laugh, glancing over at Waverly as she gets out of the car. “You’re getting pretty big, huh?”

Nate just laughs in response, slipping back down to the ground so he can drag Nicole around the car to Waverly’s side.

“Hi, I’m Nate,” the boy says, squinting with a smile as he stretches his hand out to Waverly. “I’m Nate and I’m turning 8!”

“It’s nice to meet you Nate Turning 8, I’m Waverly,” she says in response, taking his hand to shake it.

“I know that, you’re Nicky’s roommate,” Nate says with a laugh.

“Right, well, we should go say hi to mom and dad,” Nicole says. “Wanna help us with our bags?”

Nate immediately races around to the back of the car, opening the trunk to pull out Nicole’s duffel, and Nicole lifts Waverly’s suitcase out to carry it inside.

“Here, I can get that,” Waverly says, reaching over as Nicole closes the trunk.

“Don’t be silly,” Nicole says, already moving toward the house. “I got it.”

Waverly holds the front door open for Nicole, following her through the house into a kitchen. She hears Nicole’s parents before she sees them, their voices a mix of bickering and laughter.

As soon as they reach the kitchen, Nicole sets down Waverly’s suitcase on the table, and her parents swarm the brunette, all questions and compliments and offers of tea.

Waverly can tell that Nicole isn’t trying to throw her to the wolves. The older girl makes an effort to interject into the conversation, but her parents don’t pay her much attention.

Waverly catches Nicole eyeing her apologetically and winks, trying to relax the redhead. Waverly doesn’t mind their attention really, she know she can be charming so she cranks it up, being sure to compliment their daughter.

Meanwhile Nate brings Waverly’s suitcase upstairs, and when he comes back he somehow manages to distract his parents from Waverly enough for her to slip back to Nicole’s side.

They eat lunch at the house, then get dragged to the living room by Nate to play some video game he seems to love. Nicole tried to get them out of it but Waverly assures her that she’s enjoying herself.

It’s well into the afternoon when Nate grows bored with the girls, opting to talk to his friends on his headset. That’s when Nicole leads Waverly to her room where Nate has deposited their bags.

“Wow,” Waverly says as she steps through the door, glancing around at the posters and trophies neatly placed throughout the room. “This is all very Nicole-like.”

Nicole chuckles, kicking her shoes off to sit down on her full-sized bed. Waverly follows suit while Nicole reaches for a remote to turn on her TV.

“Do you want to watch something?” Nicole asks, gesturing towards the tower of movies next to her dresser.

Waverly glances at the titles from her place on the bed, all horrors and action and thrillers. With a quiet chuckle, Waverly shakes her head.

“Aren’t you tired from the drive?” Waverly asks. “You can rest if you want. I’ll just put something on Netflix.”

Nicole looks hesitant, turning on Netflix and passing the remote to Waverly. 

“Are you sure?” Nicole asks. “I can show you around town if you want. I don’t mean to be a bore.”

“That sounds lovely, but maybe we can take Nate with us before dinner,” Waverly says. “Go ahead and rest.”

Waverly can tell that Nicole feels a little guilty, so she smiles at her, getting up to turn off the lights. Waverly lays across the foot of the bed watching Friends while Nicole sleeps.

Well, at first she watches Nicole, making sure the older girl really sleeps. With only a soft light from the hallway and a bit of sun from the closed blinds leaking into the room, Nicole’s face starts to loosen, the crinkle between her eyebrows relaxing as she falls asleep.

Waverly waits until 5 at night to nudge her awake, poking her leg and murmuring her name until the girl sits up. Waverly puts on a bit of makeup while Nicole touches up her own. Then Nicole grabs her keys and a gift bag from her duffel then stands in the hallway hollering for Nate.

Meanwhile, Waverly pulls a small book-shaped package out of her own suitcase, feeling a bit proud of herself for the last-minute hand me down gift. Nicole looks at her curiously as Waverly puts the gift in her purse but says nothing. 

Nate is the first one to the car, running ahead while their parents talk to Nicole in the doorway. Waverly wanders ahead a bit, wanting to wait for Nicole without overhearing her conversation.

The bits and pieces she does catch are complaints from her parents about the dinner, making sure they get back in time for the movie, and something about wanting to talk later.

Waverly places her hand on Nicole’s back while they walk to the car, hoping it’s comforting.

  
  


They park several blocks from the restaurant, wandering past shops and businesses until their 6 o'clock reservation. 

Waverly can’t help but think how nice it is to spend dinner with Nate and Nicole, recognizing their bickering as the same sibling love that she and Wynonna have.

Nate manages to hold off on begging for a present until they’re waiting for the check, and when he does Nicole rolls her eyes but places the small gift bag she’s been carrying on the table.

It’s opened with haste, items tossed on the table and bag strewn aside. Waverly notices a medium-sized velvet box, which Nate initially ignores to open a video game case in awe, grinning when a few gift cards fall out. 

“Thanks, Nicole!” Nate nearly shouts, making the older girl glance around but also smile softly. “I’ve been wanting this game!”

Once he’s thoroughly observed the game and the gift cards, he opens the jewelry box, taking out an older looking watch.

“Is this grandpa’s watch?” Nate asks.

“It is,” Nicole says, taking the watch and helping him clip it on his wrist. “May be a little loose. He gave it to me before he passed, but I thought you might get better use out of it someday.”

Waverly feels herself smiling as she watches Nicole, who’s watching Nate inspect the watch.

“I  _ love _ it, thank you,” Nate says, reaching an arm around Nicole for a hug.

Waverly pulls out her own gift while they’re distracted, sliding the brown paper-wrapped book his way. Once he notices, he thanks her and immediately starts tearing at the paper. Inside is one of Waverly’s favorite books that she got from a used bookstore years ago.

“Nicole said you like history but I didn’t know what kind,” Waverly explains as he thumbs through the book. “It’s a book I got when I was a kid. It’s about the history of civilization, so there’s a lot in there to choose from if there’s a certain part of history you prefer.”

“Thank you, it’s  _ awesome _ ,” Nate says, dropping the book to round the table and hug Waverly. 

While Nate hugs her, Waverly watches Nicole’s eyes as they fall to the note on the open cover of the book. Waverly has written a hasty note that morning to make the hand-me-down gift a bit more personal.

_ Nate, your lovely sister told me you like history. She talks very highly of you so I chose one of my favorites to pass on to you. Enjoy! Love, Waverly _

Nicole glances up, meeting the younger girl’s eyes, and Waverly swears her smile is gentler than ever before. Nicole mouths  _ thank you,  _ and Waverly just winks as Nate goes back to his chair.

Nicole insists on paying for everything, including the ice cream that Nate begs for at a shop on the way back to the car. By the time they get back to Nicole’s house, her parents have covered the place in balloons and streamers and set the living room up with blankets and pillows galore.

“Do you want to change into pajamas?” Nicole asks, watching Nate bound off to put on his own ‘jammies.’ “I’ll probably shower before we start the movie; you’re welcome to use my shower too if you want.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Waverly says with a nod, leading Nicole upstairs to the room.

Waverly showers first, changing into her pajamas in Nicole’s bathroom afterwards. When she comes out to the bedroom, Nicole is laying out a blanket on the ground, making a bed it looks like.

“What are you doing?” Waverly asks, bouncing onto the foot of the bed and swinging her feet. 

“Believe it or not, my carpet is easier to sleep on than the couch downstairs,” Nicole says. “I mean, the couch is comfortable, but I’ll sleep better if I’m in my room. I mean, if you don’t mind.”

“I do mind that you think you’re sleeping on the  _ floor _ ,”  Waverly says with a scoff. “I mean we’ve shared a twin bed, I think we can handle a full.”

It takes Waverly a moment to notice her slip, and she only does once Nicole has paused, looking at her quizzically.

“What do you mean?” Nicole asks as Waverly leans back on her elbows, blowing out a puff of air.

“Wanna sit?” Waverly asks, gesturing to the space on the bed beside her.

Nicole sits down on the bed with her legs tucked under herself, facing Waverly, who doesn’t move from her position.

“It was that night we went to Shorty’s,” Waverly says warily, not making eye contact with the older girl. “You were just really drunk, and you told me you don’t like to sleep alone when you’re drunk.”

Nicole just laughs at first, hearing Waverly’s confession.

“I’m sorry,” Nicole says after. “I can be really needy when I’m intoxicated. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t,” Waverly says. “Really, I felt kinda bad, like I was… taking advantage of you in your drunken state. There may have been cuddling.”

“Well I’m sober tonight,” Nicole says with a chuckle. “So I’m fine on the floor. I don’t want to bother you.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Waverly says. “It won’t bother me at all to share the bed. We’re friends.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Nicole says, sliding off the bed. “I’m gonna take a quick shower.”

Waverly nods, lying on her back as Nicole leaves to the bathroom. She does her best not to think about that night, about Nicole’s body pressed to hers or the light sheen of sweat between them when she woke up the next morning.

Just as she sits up, finally finding that her mind is elsewhere, the shower turns off and Nicole comes out in her towel- such a short towel for a the tall woman- to grab her pajamas.

Nicole barely acknowledges the brunette as she digs through a drawer, and Waverly is thankful for it. Because as much as she’s  _ trying _ not to be creepy- they’re  _ friends _ for Christ's sake- she can’t look away from the pale, creamy skin of Nicole’s legs, or the soft flexing of her shoulders.

Waverly feels a familiar heat dropping to her abdomen and looks away, squeezing her thighs together as if that alone would release the pressure. She opts to glance at her phone, responding to a few texts while Nicole makes her way to bathroom to change. 

Then they head downstairs together, walking into a dark living room where an overly energetic Nate is sitting on the couch with his parents, bouncing up and down.

“Nicole, would you hit the play button before you sit down?” Nicole’s mother asks. 

“And turn off the lights!” Nate adds.

Waverly flicks off the lights while Nicole grabs the remote and hits play. Waverly laughs to herself when she sees that his movie choice is some silly zombie movie. An odd taste in movies must run in the family.

Nicole sits at the smaller loveseat next to the couch, and Waverly follows and drops down next to her, snuggling up to her as the older girl fast forwards through the ads. She has snuggled with friends before and she will again. It’s perfectly platonic.

But they aren’t very far into the movie when Waverly discovers that the movie is in fact  _ not  _ silly and is quite scary.

Waverly tries not to squirm closer to Nicole, but it only takes a few jump scares to have her pressed to Nicole’s side, one hand over her eyes. She can smell Nicole’s strawberry shampoo and fruity body wash, and knows the smell is probably on her too.

When Nicole wraps an arm around her it only gets stronger, and Waverly finds herself relaxing into the older girl’s arms as her other hand comes rests on Waverly’s knee to rub calming circles there.

The movie is nearly over when Nicole pulls away, and Waverly notices it’s because the older girl’s phone is buzzing. Nicole checks the screen, which has a blank contact with only the name  _ Shae _ , then stands up and makes her way to the kitchen.

Waverly moves to sit against the arm of the couch and tries to focus on the movie. When Nicole comes back a few minutes later, there’s a strange look on her face that Waverly can’t place.

“Everything okay?” Waverly whispers, leaning forward a bit.

Nicole nods but Waverly sees right through her, raising an eyebrow in question. So Nicole leans forward, pushing a strand of Waverly’s hair behind her ear to nearly press her lips there instead.

“It’s just Shae,” Nicole says lowly so only Waverly can hear. “She wanted something more than I did, I guess. I didn’t want to lead her on, so we just ended things.”

“I’m sorry,” the brunette says, her voice quiet but sincere.

“It’s not a big deal,” Nicole whispers as she leans back, pulling Waverly’s legs into her lap as she settles into the couch.

Waverly nods, shifting her her focus back to the movie. It ends soon after, much to Waverly’s relief. Nare is promptly sent to bed by his parents, and soon after Nicole all but sends Waverly to bed too.

“I think my parents want to talk,” Nicole says to Waverly while they’re standing at the bottom of the stairs. “I’ll be up in a few minutes though. I’ll try not to wake you.”

“That’s okay, I’ll probably be on my phone for a little while anyways,” Waves responds, reaching out to squeeze Nicole’s hand in reassurance before turning around to go upstairs.

Waverly closes Nicole’s bedroom door enough that it’s still cracked open, turning off the overhead light but leaving on a lamp. She crawls under the covers and moves to the far side of the bed, laying back to check her messages and social media. 

By the time she’s done, Nicole still hasn’t come upstairs, so Waverly flicks off the lamp and tries to sleep. The sheets smell different than Waverly was expecting, probably because her family uses a different detergent, but it’s still a relaxing smell to Waverly.

Only a few minutes later, Waverly hears Nicole’s footsteps down the hall. And then as Nicole comes in the room, shutting the door behind her, Waverly can tell something’s off. It’s her breathing, maybe the outline of her less-than-straight posture in the dark room, or the way she doesn’t say anything as she slides into bed, not facing Waverly’s direction.

“Nicole?” Waverly says, reaching a hand out to touch the other girl’s shoulder.

It takes her a moment, but eventually Nicole rolls over, and Waverly can just barely make out her face in the dark. Her eyes are open, dark and glistening with tears, her lips turned down at the corners.

Waverly doesn’t say anything about it, just moves closer, reaching out to wrap an arm around Nicole’s waist and pulling her in. Nicole melts into Waverly’s touch, pressing her face to the younger girl’s neck, sobs beginning to wrack her body.

Waverly rubs soothing circles on Nicole’s back, pressing kisses to the top of her head, holding her tightly as Nicole cries. She doesn’t bother trying to talk, just waits for Nicole to calm down.

Waverly’s whole neck and shoulder are soaked with tears, but she doesn’t move until Nicole is breathing normally again.

“I’m sorry,” Nicole says with a sniffle, leaning back to wipe at the crook of Waverly’s neck with her sleeve.

“Don’t be,” Waverly says softly, shooing away her hand and pulling her in again.

“I know they love me,” Nicole explains, her lips moving against Waverly’s neck. “It’s just not the same anymore.”

“I know,” Waverly responds, wrapping one of Nicole’s legs in her own, trying to make her feel closer. “You don’t have to explain unless you want to.”

Nicole nods, opting to stay quiet, breathing softly against Waverly’s skin. Waverly doesn’t relax until she recognizes the pattern of Nicole’s breath that suggests she’s asleep. Then she closes her eyes, placing one last kiss on Nicole’s head, and falls asleep.


	5. Take Your Time On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where they finally talk, amongst other things.
> 
> This is the last chapter!
> 
> Thank you for reading. I've really enjoyed working on this little fic and all your support has been great!

Nicole wakes up with a throbbing headache. She vaguely recognizes the sound of her alarm going off behind her, but the sound that really gets her attention is the soft snoring that doesn’t belong to her.

That when it all clicks in place, her memories of last night registering. And then she realizes where she is, her face pressed to the soft skin of Waverly’s neck, her fingers tangled in the fabric of the younger girl’s shirt. Even their legs all tangled up, and Nicole’s heart jumps to her throat when she thinks about having to move away.

But she does move, pulling away from Waverly just enough to shut off the alarm. Then she reaches across Waverly to open the blinds, letting in enough sunlight to brighten the room.

When Nicole settles back into Waverly’s arms, she can tell by the change in the younger girl’s breathing that she’s awake. Nicole feels herself grinning as Waves licks her lips and squeezes her eyes shut.

“Are you awake?” Nicole asks groggily although she knows the answer.

“No,” Waverly moans, scooting down in the bed to rest her head on Nicole’s chest. “Just a few more minutes.”

Nicole doesn’t say anything for a moment, just wraps her arms around Waverly’s frame and holds on for a another moment.

“Waverly?” Nicole says, quieter this time.

“Hm?” Waverly grumbles lifting her face a bit to look at Nicole.

“Thank you for last night,” Nicole says, challenging herself to meet Waverly’s eyes. “Thank you for understanding, and for… for comforting me when you didn’t have to.”

“Nicole,” Waverly admonishes, a small smile on her face. “You don’t need to thank me, really. I’m happy to be here for you. Anytime.”

Nicole nods, knowing that it’s useless to argue with the girl.

“Just as long as you know I’m grateful,” Nicole says.

“I do,” Waverly relents, snuggling into Nicole again.

“Well, in that case, we really should get up,” Nicole says.

“Yeah, we should,” Waverly agrees without moving a muscle,

“The aquarium opens at 10 this morning and it’s already eight,” Nicole continues.

“Mhm.”

“Waverly?” Nicole asks, her hand stilling where it had been exploring Waverly’s back. “Waverly, are you falling asleep again?”

Nicole rolls her eyes when Waverly doesn’t respond. Picking up her phone, she flips through her contacts and texts Nate to make sure he’s up. He responds with a selfie from bed, and Nicole promptly tells him that he needs to get up and get dressed so he doesn’t get left behind.

Then Nicole decided that she should probably do the same. It’s just hard with a koala attached to her, a cuddler that she doesn’t really _want_ to push off.

“Waverly,” Nicole mutters, deciding on a different approach. “Waves, if we get ready fast enough we can stop at this nice cafe for breakfast. They’ve got all kinds of vegan and vegetarian options.”

After a moment Waverly finally responds, sitting up with a yawn to stretch out. It takes them both a bit to untangle themselves from each other and crawl out of the comfy bed and its warm sheets. Even then, Nicole doesn’t really wake up until she’s brewed a pot of coffee.

  


The three make it to the aquarium a little after it opens. Nicole had expected Nate’s excitement- it never goes away, no matter how often he goes- but Waverly is a different story. She insists on taking pictures of and with all the best exhibits, of course. But she also stops to skim every animal explanation and is actually excited to talk to Nate about them.

It isn’t long until Nicole bumps into one of her old coworkers. Nicole is leading Waverly by the hand toward the stingray exhibits where Nate is, glancing back to say something to the younger girl, when she actually _bumps_ _into_ her old friend.

“Nicole!” Kate shouts, reaching out to catch the redhead. “Nicole, what are you doing here?”

Nicole releases Waverly’s hand as she catches her balance, turning to Kate with a smile.

“Hey, sorry!” Nicole says with a laugh. “I’m here with Nate, actually. I was hoping to run into you, just not literally. How are you?”

“I’m great, really,” Kate says excitedly. “I’ve been a manager here for awhile now, and working in the office is a lot better. There’s less work with animals, but I feel like I’m doing more for them here, working with conservation agencies and whatnot. We’re doing a lot of rehabilitation right now.”

“That’s awesome, Kate!” Nicole says, momentarily forgetting about the smaller woman at her side until Kate reminds her.

“Sooo, are you going to introduce me to this beautiful girlfriend of yours?” Kate asks, already reaching for Waverly’s hand to shake.

“Oh, uh, no, sorry,” Nicole stutters, “This is Waverly, my roommate from Purgatory University. Waves, this is my old friend Kate.”

Nicole tries to ignore the look Kate gives her, just like she tries to ignore Waverly’s blush- or her own for that matter.

“So you’re single then?” Katie says, reaching out to touch Nicole’s arm. “Good to know, Haught stuff.”

“I missed you, Kate,” Nicole says with an roll of her eyes.

“Oh, I know you did,” Kate says. “I’m still on the clock though, how long are you in town?”

“We’re going back tonight, actually,” Waverly says, causing the other girls to break eye contact to look at her.

“We’re just here for Nate’s birthday lunch,” Nicole confirms. “We both have classes tomorrow.”

“I see,” Kate says, winking at Waverly before Nicole catches her eye again. “Well, call me when you’re back in town again. I’d love to catch up.”

“Sure thing,” Nicole says, watching as Kate pulls a pen from her breast pocket.

Then Kate is reaching for Nicole’s arm, pushing back her sleeve to write her phone number there. Nicole shivers, either from the soft trace of Kate’s pen or from Waverly’s gaze, which she can feel burning holes in the side of her already-flushed cheeks.

“I’m gonna go check on Nate,” Waverly says, brushing by without really looking at Nicole. “I’ll be right back.”

Nicole looks ups, watching Waverly stuff her hands in her pockets and amble over to where Nate has moved on from the stingrays and is hurrying to the next exhibit.

“Hey, does Emily still work here?” Nicole thinks to ask as Kate puts her pen back in its place. “I mean, is she around?”

“No, she moved away last summer,” Kate says, and Nicole can feel the older girl examining her face.. “Sorry, I thought you knew.”

“No, it’s no big deal,” Nicole says with a light smile. “I just never really said goodbye to her before I left.”

“ _And_ you didn’t come home last summer,” Kate admonishes. “I know you want to be a cop and your family hates that or whatever, but if you _do_ decide to spend some time at home there are a lot of people here that miss you. And we all have couches.”

“Thanks, Kate,” Nicole says, feeling herself smile more genuinely now. “That really does mean a lot to me.”

Kate nods, giving Nicole a wink before they part ways. It takes Nicole a few moments to get that weird interaction with Kate out of her mind. Sure, Kate had always been a flirt, but never so directly with Nicole. And Nicole hadn’t even considered staying in town with friends before.

Nicole hears her own sigh a bit loudly in her ears as she makes her way towards Waverly. A part of her had hoped to see Emily around, but she’s also a bit relieved she won’t. Nicole got her closure with Emily whether they said a proper goodbye or not, and the past is in the past.

Once Nicole is with Nate and Waverly, she quickly refocuses on them and starts to have a good time again. But Nicole can’t help but notice the slight shift between her and Waverly after talking with Kate. Suddenly Waverly isn’t reaching for her hand or leaning against her so much.

It isn’t until they get home from the aquarium that Waverly’s whole attitude seems to shift. She still laughs and talks with Nate and insists on helping set up for the party. But her eyes never meet Nicole’s and she isn’t at all receptive to Nicole’s attempts at conversation.

They eat lunch, open gifts, and sing happy birthday before Nicole gets her in. Waverly excuses herself to the bathroom while Nate cuts his cake, and Nicole waits half a second at the most before getting up to follow her.

“Waverly,” Nicole says, turning down the hall after the younger girl. “Waves, wait.”

“Yes?” Waverly stops outside the guest bathroom, turning on her heel to give Nicole a quick smile that she immediately deciphers as fake.

“Did I do something?” Nicole asks carefully.

Something about Waverly’s face falls, and Nicole can’t read the emotions there. She looks sad, sure, but also a bit angry and maybe even guilty.

“No, you didn’t do anything,” Waverly huffs.

Nicole narrows her eyes, crossing her arms in a stubborn stance.

“I think I did,” Nicole says.

Waverly rolls her eyes, turning to open the bathroom door.

“Wait,” Nicole says again, closing the distance between them but still keeping her hands to herself so that Waverly can move away if she wants.

“You didn’t _do anything_ ,” Waverly says. “I’m just _upset,_ okay?”

“But it’s about me,” Nicole says, more of a statement than a question.

Waverly sighs, her shoulders sagging a bit as she gives into Nicole’s closeness, and Nicole finally rests her hand on the girl’s arm when she knows she won’t pull away.

“That night we got drunk,” Waverly starts, “when I slept in your bed with you?”

Nicole nods and strokes her arm, encouraging her to continue although she’s starting to worry about what the younger girl is going to say.

“You kind of told me you like me, I think,” Waverly says, glancing away from Nicole’s eyes. “Maybe you didn’t mean it like it sounded, but I think you did.”

Nicole freezes, her hand still resting on Waverly’s arm, her breath caught in her throat. For a moment Waverly is quiet, and Nicole tries to picture herself opening up to Waverly like that. After Waverly’s confession last night she can remember being wrapped up in her arms, drunkenly cuddling her roommate in such a non-platonic way. Of course she would have told Waverly she liked her. Why not completely ruin their friendship?

“Waves, I’m sorry,” Nicole stutters.

“No, it’s not that,” Waverly says. “I mean it’s okay that you felt that way, that’s not what bothered me, really. I just, I knew how you felt and you didn’t seem to remember and after that night I had to hear you with Shae and then today Kate was flirting with you, and I don’t know. It just sucked.”

“Oh,” Nicole says, losing her words. “Oh.”

“And I shouldn’t feel mad, but I do,” Waverly rambles. “I’m not saying I want to be the one you want, I just have confusing feelings and I wasn’t even going to get involved with anyone in college and then you said that and then you started seeing Shae and-”

“Waverly,” Nicole interrupts. “Why didn’t you say something before?”

“I don’t really know,” Waverly says softly. “I don’t know how to feel.”

“Okay,” Nicole says, her voice dropping. “But don’t apologize for how you feel. I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

“You didn’t mean to,” Waverly says with a shrug. “You’ve got a life to live too. Nothing to be sorry about.”

“Well, I am sorry.”

Waverly nods, and Nicole moves closer, wanting nothing more than to comfort the girl, to tell her the truth about the other girls in her life. That they don’t matter. That she felt guilty the whole time she was with Shae because she couldn’t give her full attention to anyone with Waverly in the back of her mind. That she didn’t want anyone to flirt with her that wasn’t Waverly.

“Really, Shae and Kate don’t mean anything to me,” Nicole says softly. “I meant what I said that night. Drunk or not.”

Their lips brush, touching just enough to tease but not taste. Nicole’s hands find their way to Waverly’s waist, pushing her away from the doorway and then against the wall, and Waverly’s hands on Nicole’s shoulders to pull her closer until their bodies are flush.

“Then say it again,” Waverly says, barely a whisper.

“Waverly Earp, you mean a lot to me,” Nicole says, a grin reaching across her face. “I like you _very much_ and I don’t want to hurt you ever again. I won’t.”

Nicole feels Waverly shiver and pushes herself  impossibly closer, fingers brushing along the hem of Waverly’s shirt. Nicole leans her face closer to Waverly, daring the girl to meet her halfway.

And she does, stretching up to brush their lips together again. Nicole sucks in a breath of air, shocked at how it feels to be so close when they’re _not really even kissing._

And then Nicole hears the patter of footsteps down the hall, backing away from Waverly with an apologetic smile. The warmth seems to leave her body all at once, yet she can still feel the ghost of Waverly’s body against hers.

“Dad wants to know if he should cut you a piece of cake,” Nate says from the end of the hallway, unsuspicious and directing the question at neither girl specifically.

“Sure, we’ll be back in a minute,” Nicole answers, turning to Nate for only a millisecond before returning her attention to Waverly.

“Nicole…” Waverly says, pressing fingers to her own lips where Nicole’s had been only seconds before.

“If you decide that you want me to want you… I do,” Nicole says. “So just let me know.”

Then Nicole turns, trying to ignore the flutter of her stomach and the way she can feel Waverly’s eyes on her as she walks away.

  


It isn’t until they’ve returned home that Waverly can bring herself to really talk to Nicole again. Nicole has given her space, talked to her like a normal roommate, pretended like Sunday didn’t happen in case Waverly wanted it that way.

It’s a quiet Wednesday night when Waverly does it. She’s in bed with her door cracked open, sitting against the bed frame. Nicole is in the shower when Waverly texts her, telling her that her door is open if she wants to join her.

20 minutes later, Waverly’s got her glasses on, hunched over a new book and straining to read by the light of her dim lamp, when she hears the knock on her door.

“It’s open,” Waverly says.

Nicole comes in with a sheepish smile, looking soft in a loose sweater and spandex shorts, her hair still dark and damp from her shower.

“Come on in,” Waverly says, scooching over and forcing herself to turn her eyes back to her book. “The water’s fine.”

Nicole lies down next to Waverly’s legs, idly tossing an arm over her thighs.

“Read to me?” Nicole mumbles, her face tucked against Waverly’s hip.

Waverly feels herself smiling down at Nicole, and she can’t imagine saying no. So she reads out loud, page after page, waiting for Nicole to stop her. Of course, Nicole doesn’t stop her. Not directly at least. But by the time she’s a chapter in, Waverly can’t hold her focus, feeling the redhead’s eyes on her.

Waverly works through the distraction until Nicole starts tracing circles on the outside of her thigh the way she does. That’s when Waverly closes the book, placing it on the other side of the bed, and smiles down at Nicole.

“What’s on your mind?” Waverly asks in almost a whisper.

“Nothing,” Nicole murmurs with a lazy smile, meeting Waverly’s eyes. Waverly knows exactly what’s on her mind though, and she knows Nicole won’t rush her, would never rush her.

“Okay,” Waverly says, willing herself to look away from Nicole’s mouth and failing.

“Hey, my eyes are over here,” Nicole says with a waggle of her eyebrows.

Waverly tries not to let her cheeks flare with a blush, but they do anyways. When she shifts her eyes back to Nicole’s, she tries to match her challenging stare with confidence.

She must win, because soon Nicole is shifting, first her glance and then her body into a sitting position. Waverly watches as Nicole’s eyes drift down to her lips.

And then Waverly watches helplessly as her own hands reach up to hold Nicole’s face, one thumb brushing over her cheekbone and the other hand shifting itself back to fit into the nape of her neck.

Then Waverly is leaning forward, pressing her lips to Nicole’s mouth a bit too frantically.

For a moment their lips are desperate and needy, tongues working together with a lack of grace, and _oh God_ it feels good. Waverly practically throws herself into Nicole’s lap, wanting to be closer, _needing_ to feel closer.

Then she notices that Nicole’s hands have stopped roaming in exchange for holding her close, and the older girl pulls away just enough to catch her breath.

“Waverly, slow down” Nicole says, her voice open and soft, vulnerable and trembling just a bit. “I need to hear you say it.”

Waverly nods eagerly, meeting Nicole’s eyes.

“I want to be with you,” Waverly says, nodding eagerly as she meets Nicole’s eyes. “I want us to be together.”

Nicole smiles softly, her eyes roaming Waverly’s face as she grins back. And then Nicole fits her mouth against Waverly’s, slowly this time, gently pressing her lips to Waverly’s until neither of them can hold back.

Waverly has never felt anything more _right_ than Nicole’s body under hers, their hands curious and their mouths roaming across skin as they eagerly learn each other’s bodies. Waverly has never felt so _comfortable_ and _inquisitive_ all at the same time.

And later when Nicole falls asleep in her arms, their legs tangled and bodies still pressed together, skin on soft skin, Waverly can’t imagine ever leaving her bed again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Find me on tumblr at haughts-angel.


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